Robots are useful in a variety of civilian, commercial, military, and law enforcement applications. For instance, some robots may inspect or search buildings with structural damage caused by earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes, or inspect buildings or outdoor sites contaminated with radiation, biological agents such as viruses or bacteria, or chemical spills. Some robots carry appropriate sensor systems for inspection or search tasks.
In the electrical distribution application applications, are flashing can pose a significant hazard. As a result, standards and operating instructions have been issued for operators to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to operate breakers, switches and other electrical devices. Depending on the severity of the incident energy in the arc flash, the operator has to wear different category of protective equipment. These protective clothing are cumbersome, difficult from a breathing perspective, and limit the effectiveness of the operator when trying to conduct a precise operation in front of live electrical equipment. Because of these limitations operators either shy away from donning PPE, thus subjecting themselves to risks or tasks take very long.
For some applications historically conducted manually, such as breaker racking, an operator may use a remote breaker racking accessory that opens or closes a circuit breaker in a switchgear system. Some switchgear include front mounted accessories with wires (or radio) capability to close or open a switch with the operator at a safe distance away.